First tattoo

I finally got my tattoo yesterday (May 17, 2011) and I love it so much. I'm not going to lie or try to sound tough though, I did cry. I think it hurt more than I was expecting for two reasons: 1) I had a bit of sunburn on my back (the tattoo artist said it wasn't that bad, and that I shouldn't worry) and 2) I hadn't eaten much that day.
It started off well enough, the pain wasn't too bad, and I wasn't shedding tears. After getting half of the outline done, I started to cry because the area he working on was directly on top of my spine. I gotta tell you guys, that's wasn't pleasant. The outline of the tattoo was the most painful (strange, I know), whereas the shading was more manageable. It took about 3 and a half hours for him to finish the tattoo, and towards the end I was feeling a bit sick, because I hadn't eaten in 7 hours. But even though this tattoo was a pain in the ass to get done, I'm glad I got it. I just have to wait a week or so, and then I'm going to get it colored in.

So, here's what I'd recommend to people who are getting their first tattoo:

Don't get it done with a sunburn, your skin needs to be in tip top shape.
Make sure you eat something substantial before you go in.
Make SURE you LOVE the design the artist sketches for you...if you have any doubts about it, talk to the artist and tell him/her what they can improve on. If it's still not to your liking, go to another place. Remember, it's permanent. Make sure it's something that you're 100% satisfied with.
If you need someone there to support/distract you, bring them. Whether it's your boyfriend, girlfriend, or even mom, it's kinda nice to have someone familiar there with you.
Bring your ID, (no matter how old you are) they need a copy for legal reasons

If you're curious, this is what the tattoo felt like to me (I got it on my upper back). Imagine someone taking the tip of a sharp pocket knife, and dragging it along your skin at an angle. With pressure, of course. At worst, it felt as if the "knife" was ripping my muscle. At best it felt like a knife with very little pressure, almost like a tickle.